How To Live Healthier Now

A must read!

Are you currently trying to lose weight? Did you resolve to be healthier this year? If so, before you do anything, read this through to the end.

So many times, people hit the new year with a renewed sense of purpose and direction. They resolve to be healthier, to lose 10 pounds, to quit smoking. Some succeed, but many more struggle with these resolutions and fail.

Have you noticed that each year, there are a handful of “healthy” foods that hit the market and then the next year they are reported to be “unhealthy”? How confusing is that?! One year, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” and the next year “sugar from apples is bad for your teeth”. This day agave syrup is the rage because it doesn’t peak the insulin levels like sugar does, the next day this is reported to be false.

Our bodies are complex machines and we have some knowledge of their inner workings, but I don’t know that we will never know it all! To add to that, our food is being genetically modified, processed and covered in chemicals for convenience and higher profits for the producers and without a true understanding of how this modification impacts our overall health and wellness.

Have you noticed that “healthy”, in terms of image, changes from decade to decade? In the 90’s it was Kate Moss super thin, then it changed to be not so thin, but still thin and now it is thin, but super-ripped. Why are we doing this to ourselves? My opinion is that most people want to look like someone else (we always want what we don’t have) and everyone wants to be accepted by the community and society.

Here are some questions for you:

What does “healthy” really mean to you?

What would being thinner really mean to you?

Why do you want to lose weight or be healthier?

We’ve all heard at least one person say that “Age is just a number”. Well here is my saying: “Size and weight are just numbers”. That’s right, I said and I would gladly say it again!

#1 We are all incredibly unique

Each individual on this earth is a unique combination of variables which include our genes, bone structure, height, skin colour, hair colour, eye colour, chemical make up, physical make up…and this is what makes us each so wonderful.

We all have beautiful unique souls, skills, strengths and talents. We all love and want to be loved back.

#2 Forget the clothing size and focus on feeling

Let’s stop basing our value and wellness on a clothing size; sizes differ from manufacturer to manufacturer anyway so they are not a great guage.

#3 You are the only one who can define what feels best for you and your unique structure.

I used to make resolutions and goals like “lose 10 pounds by…”, but I’ve since stopped. Am I recommending that you don’t strive to maintain the health of your body, mind and soul? Absolutely not! Please let me explain.

In my earlier years, my relationship with myself based on “hate”. I was NEVER skinny enough, perfect enough or good enough. I compared myself with others and just when I started feeling good about myself, someone looked better than me. I starved, binged, purged, counted calories, limited intake, drank more coffee, smoked…sigh. You get the picture.

It wasn’t until I developed “food sensitivities” and got really ill from many foods (which wreaked havoc on my life and my body) that I lost a ton of weight. I didn’t really have a lot of weight to lose in the first place, to be honest.

I was finally the size of the person I had always hoped to be, but...:

I didn’t feel well and I was constantly freezing. Seriously, I pretty much needed a sweater even in the heat of the Alberta summer.

I was disgusted by how bony I was. Seriously, my collar bones, ribs and hip bones were all jutting out. Who knew that I wouldn’t want to meet my skeleton before I died?

I didn’t feel the happiness that I had hoped for. I always thought that once I got to that “perfect size”, I will feel so satisfied and happy, but wanna know what I learned? Being my “ideal” size 4 didn’t increase my overall happiness. So if you find yourself saying “Oh…when I lose X pounds, then I will…”, you may want to reconsider if you really need to hold off to do the things you want!

I realized that no matter how long I had hoped to be super-skinny, size 4 was simply not a sustainable size for me and my body. There were no fireworks that I saw or extreme happiness/satisfaction…I was left cold and shivering in the heat of summer because I had no body fat left to keep me warm and I felt disgusting because my bones were sticking out all over the place!

It finally hit me that I was enough. I was perfectly imperfect and YOU ARE TOO. I was thin enough, good enough and perfect as-is. I was me and this was a good thing because there is only one me!

I asked myself why was it so damn important for me to be that skinny in the first place? I thought that it would make me happy.

Did it make me a better person?

Am I bad person if I gain a bit of weight?

Did losing the weight change the way that my true friends treated me?

Did it improve my relationship?

The answers to these questions for me was “No”. If anything, putting so much emphasis, effort and time on being a certain size/shape/whatever actually took time away from the things that were important to me in life.

As time passed, I found a sustainable and comfortable size for me; a place where I have enough body fat to keep me warm, but am still maintaining enough activity to ensure that my body functions well. I found a balance that allows me to eat the things that I enjoy in moderation, but still feel comfortable and well overall.

How did I do this, you ask? I don’t base my value or my health on the size or weight that I am anymore. I base my overall health on how I feel.

First, here are some important things for you to remember as a starter:

The world needs the “true you”, not the “you” that is trying to be or look like everyone else.

You only get one body. It makes sense to listen to it and to take care of it now so that it serves you better as you age.

Your body is an amazing machine and it has given you the gift to experience another day with so many of your favorite people. Why shouldn’t you be grateful for this?

You are more than your body. When I look at myself, I see that my soul and personality is kind, playful, considerate and generous and I want to help people just like me to get back in touch with their souls.

Your body needs your love and acceptance and it’s not too late to fix your relationship with yourself; accepting and loving the “perfectly-imperfect” you. I encourage you to start play around with the things you do in your life to see if you can find a balance for your overall “health” that feels right for you.

Next, here the concepts that I applied to my relationships with myself and with food to find balance and peace with my health:

Don’t strive for skinny; strive to feel healthy.

I’m no longer willing to strive for skinny; I simply want to feel good; to feel healthy. To do this, I started to observing how I feel when I eat certain things, do certain activities or am around certain people. Your body is wise if you listen up!

Set your intention in life and around your health

My intention is to enjoy life and to feel well. To have enough strength, flexibility, agility and energy to get out there and enjoy my life, the world around me, the people I meet and the activities that I want to do without straining or injuring myself.

No more guilt or shame

I don’t allow myself to feel guilty about the things or quantity that I am eating. I slow down to enjoy each moment, each flavour and each bite. I acknowledge, let it go and move forward.

Focus on what you are rather than aren’t

I no longer focus on all of the things that I am not and I appreciate all of the things that I am…and I am enough; right here, right now. More importantly, you are too.

Give the 80/20 rule a shot

80% of my week, I try to eat the foods that I know make me and my body feel and function the best.

I’m not talking about things that numb you like drugs or alcohol.

I’m talking about a balanced intake of food (veggies, proteins, fats, fruits) in the form of real, unprocessed, chemical-free, genetic-modification free foods. I don’t believe in fad-diets, but the one thing that each diet agrees on is keeping the veggies, so doesn’t it make sense to add more of ‘em in?

The remaining 20% of the week is open to enjoying the foods that I know aren’t the best for me, but that I simply enjoy.

Enter sugar, chocolate and alcohol, in moderation. J

Make time and space in your life for the things that matter most to YOU.

I make time for the things that are most important to me which includes making time for me, maintaining my relationships, getting enough sleep, drinking enough water, working hard and playing hard.

Take Action Now: If you are looking to create goals this year and would like to improve your health overall, please take a few moments to ponder and be honest with yourself about these things:

Step #1 - Step back and seriously consider what “healthy” means to you.

Is it based primarily on appearance, size and/or weight?

Is it based on how you feel and how your body functions

Step #2 – Consider these things:

What type of relationship do you have with yourself right now? Is it based on love or hate?

Why is it important for you to lose that weight or to live a healthier life?

Is it because everyone else is doing it?

Everyone says you should?

Do you want to look like, sound like, act like someone else?

Or is it because there are things you want to do and taking care of your health will help you to get there?

What do you want out of life? What are the things that are most important to you?

If you take your body away, who are you beneath all of that?

Have you recognized that you are enough yet; that you are “perfectly imperfect”?

Do you listen to your body?

Where and when do you feel the best, the most content with your body functioning the best?

Do you have health issues that you are currently ignoring?

“Health” is not based solely on size, weight or appearance; “Size and weight are just numbers”.

If you have any questions relating to my story, I would love to hear from you!

If this resonates with you at all, please share with your friends on Facebook, Google+, Pinterest or email!

You are fully qualified to take your life back and you can do this. I can help you to create a life that is happy, satisfying and meaningful to you. Using a proven, successful process, I can support you in:

understanding your priorities, stills, values

learning who you are and what interests you

defining and getting where you want to go

taking manageable steps forward

acquiring tools and techniques to create positive change in your life

breaking the negative habits and thought patterns that are currently holding you back